7 months ago
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP) -- The University of Maine at Presque Isle Nordic ski coach is heading to Vancouver to serve as head coach of the New Zealand Olympic cross country ski team. Alexei Sotskov is scheduled to leave Wednesday for Vancouver, where the winter Olympics begin Friday. The last race for Sotskov's team will be Feb. 28, the day the Olympics end. Members of the New Zealand team include Ben Koons, 23, of Dunedin, New Zealand, who's been living in Maine for the past seven years, trained with the Maine Winter Sports Center and has been on the New Zealand national team for two years. As head coach for the small New Zealand team, Sotskov oversees everything from travel logistics and race entries to ski waxing and his athletes' physical and mental preparation.
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